updated 07:40 pm EDT, Sat June 25, 2011

LulzSec stops official campaign

Lulz Security on Saturday said it was quitting its hacks as an official collective after 50 days of hacks. The group said its "planned" campaign had come to an end and was encouraging others to take its place. Some of the hacks were launched just for fun, the group said, but it hoped the AntiSec (anti-security) campaign would go on to foster resistance to excessive political control.

"Again, behind the mask, behind the insanity and mayhem, we truly believe in the AntiSec movement," LulzSec said. "We believe in it so strongly that we brought it back, much to the dismay of those looking for more anarchic lulz. We hope, wish, even beg, that the movement manifests itself into a revolution that can continue on without us. The support we've gathered for it in such a short space of time is truly overwhelming, and not to mention humbling. Please don't stop. Together, united, we can stomp down our common oppressors and imbue ourselves with the power and freedom we deserve."

As a final 'reward' for the campaign, the group posted a BitTorrent of private information it obtained from past hacks.

The group at once drew praise and criticism for its approach. It garnered some of its greatest attention with its Sony Pictures and CIA takedowns, where the team was making commentary about poor security. Others weren't necessarily as large but had a political bent, such as an Arizonalaw enforcement hack attacking the state's anti-immigrant policies. Others, like Nintendo, didn't have any clear motive other than opportunity. Concerns have existed that the group was doing very real damage to innocent people by posting logins and personal information in some situations.

Police have claimed to have arrested at least one person involved but have been flatly rejected. The one arrest in the UK has been narrowed down to an IRC channel operator who had no direct knowledge of the hacks.